Universal has set the picture for release in the center of next year’s Oscar race with a December 7, 2012 date. Cameron Mackintosh is producing with Working Title’s Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Debra Hayward. William Nicholson wrote the script and the music is by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil. Hathaway is currently playing Catwoman in the Chris Nolan-directed The Dark Knight Rises for Warner Bros.

68 Comments

Dear God… I hope she improves on that horrible accent she used during One Day.

Diane • on Oct 18, 2011 9:13 am

She won’t have to. It’s a musical and is sung entirely through.

Anonymous • on Oct 18, 2011 12:15 pm

Those are called operas.

Lisa • on Oct 18, 2011 6:50 pm

Les Mis is not an opera; it is a sung through musical. They are different.

Lisa • on Oct 18, 2011 6:51 pm

Les Mis is not an opera; it is a sung through musical. They are different things.

Will • on Oct 18, 2011 1:55 pm

Just because it is singing doesn’t mean you don’t need an accent. Peoples’ accents don’t disappear when they sing. And besides, this isn’t going to be sung entirely through. William Nicholson is working on the script so that it works as a movie, and it will include some scenes becoming dialogue and not song.

mec • on Oct 18, 2011 2:41 pm

So then it’s an opera?

arcangl • on Oct 18, 2011 11:00 am

You need to acquaint yourself with a story and geography before posting your snide comment. Les Miserables takes place in FRANCE not BRITAIN so her admittedly bad “One Day” accent is a non-issue.

Teddy • on Oct 18, 2011 7:48 pm

Right… and every movie set in France hollywood does, they always use French accents.

Jim • on Jan 3, 2012 12:43 pm

Yes but I thought when it was made into a musical although it’s still set in France the accents were changed to the British equivilants, which is why all the French peasants – such as Gavroche – speak in a Cockney accent? Either way, I’m not a fan of Anne Hathaway, so to see her in my own dream role is not something I’m looking forward to….

anyonefortea • on Oct 18, 2011 11:01 am

first of all – if you have EVER travelled outside of LA dude – you would know that accent is northern england/blackpool. i guess you are used to the valley adjacent accent off of cahuenga.

penny • on Oct 18, 2011 11:32 am

teddy,actually, I like Anne’s British accent in Becoming Jane , and when she did impressions of Mary Poppins & Kate Middleton on SNL.

Confused? • on Oct 18, 2011 8:58 am

Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables is a classic without question. This is certainly interesting casting.

I guess the question is…even with Tom Hooper directing this cast…do we want or need yet another remake of this story?

One thing is for sure…it beats the crap out of remaking The Thing, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, and the many other remakes popping up daily in Hollywood’s vast wasteland of creativity.

Todd Toronto • on Oct 18, 2011 10:42 am

Les Miserables has been retold numerous times on film, but this will be the first filmed version of “Les Miz.”

JJ Gittes • on Oct 19, 2011 2:44 am

This has the feel of average dripping from it and will struggle to beat another sing-fest; Sweeny Todd – ww/B.O. of $150MM.

P.S. Who plays Robin Hood w/a 1950`s haircut?

Elle • on Oct 18, 2011 1:14 pm

I so agree. But this remake is clearly a serious bid to clear “win Oscar” off someone’s bucket list.

S • on Oct 18, 2011 9:07 am

I smell a bomb. Can’t these studios do ANYTHING new. I saw the musical and the movie…….I’m done.

Jo • on Oct 18, 2011 12:58 pm

What you said.

josh • on Oct 18, 2011 9:11 am

Should have been kirsten dunst so tired of anne hathaway. She’s not good in anything. Plus after that disaster of an attempt at charming oscar audiences last year all I can think is god she is annoying.

Anonymous • on Oct 21, 2011 1:11 pm

Um, except that Kirsten Dunst can’t sing, and can barely act. Anne Hathaway can actually do both. I think she will be a good fit for Fantine. Kirsten would have been a terrible pick

Disappointed • on Oct 18, 2011 9:13 am

This is HORRIBLE news!! I think Jackman and Crowe is great, but having Hathaway in just about anything makes me want to turn my head. She is WAY too overrated.

fancy face • on Oct 18, 2011 11:02 am

hathaway is a riveting actress and I am sorry you can’t get the roles she can, ok? have fun with your miserable supporting roles and B movies. one thing you cannot say about her is that she is a crappy actress, this woman has more talent in her little pinky than you do in your whole 30+ B actress body.

jmp • on Oct 18, 2011 11:30 am

Disappointed , don’t hate , congratulate. Anne Hathaway is the only A-list movie star that can believably sing these theatre songs-not Kate Winslet, not Meryl Streep, and not Michelle Williams, & not Amy Adams. Now, I don’t see Russell Crowe pulling off his role because he is not a theatre trained singer.

matt • on Oct 18, 2011 11:36 am

she hasn’t been in a good movie in about five years. hopefully things will be turning around for her.

hithere • on Oct 18, 2011 8:51 pm

Yeah there was just that whole Oscar nominee thing nbd

Elle • on Oct 18, 2011 1:10 pm

Jealous much?

stephen • on Oct 18, 2011 9:30 am

Another remake? Dear God, doesn’t anyone remember the last one from ’98? The one with Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush and Uma Thurman?
It was pretty solid and I should think it could stand alone for at least a little while longer. Absolutely unnecessary.

Joe Skilson • on Oct 19, 2011 8:13 am

But this one is a musical.

mariposa • on Oct 18, 2011 9:52 am

She makes me cringe, so thanks to her being cast, I won’t be going to that one. Too bad, but I adore that show and score and would rather not have that movie in my Pandora’s Box.

JJ • on Oct 18, 2011 9:54 am

The insufferable Hathaway has been on a campaign to be cast in a musical and/or ‘Glee’ for quite some time. Does she think it’s her one way ticket to an Oscar? My money is on ‘Yes’.

I give her credit for nabbing some noteworthy roles but it’ll be interesting to see how she weathers another case of miscasting. First it was her wavering accent/non-accent in “One Day” and next up it’s her “I’m not sexy but the costume almost is” attempt to portray Catwoman. After the like of Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt and Michelle Pfeiffer the only saving grace for gawky/unsexy Hathaway is Halle Berry’s Catwoman…but even still, Berry was better than the craptastic film.

Yes I know Hathaway is likable and attractive but so are other unsexy women like Gywenth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, etc. All talented, all likable, all not sexy.

MDeutsch • on Oct 24, 2011 8:44 am

It’s a good thing that the role of Fantine is a dramatic role and not a sexy one. While it’s true that she becomes a prostitute, Hugo intended for this fall to display that prostitution was a method of enslaving women.
So…thanks for reiterating that you think women are only legitimate for acting parts if they’re hypersexualised. Geniuscake.

Terrible idea! They have re made this so many times….on top of it….the casting is wrong , Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway? LOL….Annie should work with Jake Gyllenhal, Robert Patterson, Shia Le Bouff…..she doesn’t have the acting chops and or maturity to be paired up against Russell Crowe…..it will tank….male audience don’t want to f–k her and female audience don’t care about looking like her…..leave it up to Hollywood to reduce a talented actor going from The Gladiator , A Beautiful Mind to working with a mediocre actress who managed to screw up the Oscar hosting!

whatisthismovie? • on Oct 18, 2011 10:14 am

Ok. Movie’s got its stars. Now get some true talent involved to make a good film. Dont make it another red carpet affair, please!

ummmyeah • on Oct 18, 2011 8:49 pm

Yeah Hathaway actually is talent…..she’s a trained singer (soprano)

Lyndsey • on Oct 18, 2011 10:35 am

It’s not a remake this is the first time the musical has ever been made into a film. Still saying that I don’t agree with this casting at all

Oye • on Oct 18, 2011 10:44 am

At least Fantine dies in the beginning… What a terrible casting decision.

777 • on Oct 18, 2011 11:44 am

I think Russell Crowe should back out of this project and not join the ” Hollywood circus ” of acting….this has been re made before, it will not appeal to the audience, further, Crowe is too talented to attach his name to Anne Hathaway and a singing project….he’s a serious actor and attaching hinself to this project will undermine his own talent and lose the respect of his audience….he should hold out for a great project that’s right for him….this project is not for him….it would be like Al Pacino doing a musical ….this move will hurt his career more than help! He surely can find a brilliant writer to write a great script for him! I would love to see him in an action history piece with Angelina Jolie who is more age appropriate for him and matching in intensity, passion, sexuality….she will give him a lot to work off…..he should back out of this project…Hugh Jackman is adorable, but he still hasn’t found his nitch yet, he’s a bit all over the place. Russell Crowe should not do this project….

A • on Oct 18, 2011 12:03 pm

Good. IMDB lists 20 film productions of this book over the years. Sometimes remakes are good — keeps the classics timeless.

well • on Oct 18, 2011 12:17 pm

I think it’s great casting. I don’t care if it’s the 10th remake of Les Miserables — this casting makes this movie into an event. Great roles should be reinterpreted.

miller • on Oct 18, 2011 12:53 pm

By the way, now that we have our Fantine, I think Lucy Hale is the obvious choice for Cosette. They have similar features, they kind of look alike AND Hale also has an excellent singing voice. I’ve read somewhere that she is up for the role along with Hayden Panettiere, Miranda Cosgrove and Emma Watson…so considering singing voice and similarity, Lucy Hale should get this. Just saying.

shirleyyou'rejoking • on Oct 18, 2011 12:54 pm

Are you freaking kidding me?!!! This is going to be a disaster! How could they possibly think she’d make a good Fantine? And Jackman as Valjean and Crowe as Javert?! Really?!

C.J. • on Oct 18, 2011 1:26 pm

Seriously? Anne Hathaway? Can we just be done with her? The Princess Diaries – sure. But one of the most important musicals of the last 30 years? I don’t think so.

Agonee • on Oct 18, 2011 4:32 pm

Agree with you. Let’s be done with Anne Hathaway. Let’s stage an Occupy Wall Street mini-movement to protest this travesty!

Jill • on Oct 18, 2011 8:48 pm

So according to you they should NOT cast an actress with actual singing ability? Because she’s a trained soprano….

Annie • on Oct 18, 2011 1:58 pm

I agree with casting new faces. Day is great btw! Thanks for posting that.

Anne • on Oct 18, 2011 2:01 pm

Looking forward to any movie with Russel Crowe in it. He has carried more than one movie before. If he is in he will raise the acting bar. He is one of the best of all time. Looking forward to all four of his movies coming out. Man Of Steel, Les Mis., Broken City and Man with The Iron Fists.

Cathy • on Oct 18, 2011 4:26 pm

It’s about time they made the wonderful Broadway Show into a movie musical. I am thrilled with Hugh Jackman as Valjean; he has proven himself as a musical star and Ann Hathaway can do anything well. Bravo

Agonee • on Oct 18, 2011 4:26 pm

The 1998 Uma Thurman version of Les Miz only grossed 18.8 mil worldwide. So I’m surprised they’re ready to have another go at Les Mis.

We know Jackman can sing, cauz he was swell in Oklahoma. Russell Crowe, hmm. Nyet. Anne-for-the-love-of-God Hathaway as Fantine? Hail, No. No. No. No-way. I don’t know who should go in her place, just NOT ANNE HATHAWAY.

Some People……are just wrong for a part, in the way Audrey Hepburn was ‘wrong’ as Eliza Doolittle. Didn’t even know Anne Hathaway could sing. Tell me what she has sung, and I will go download it from iTunes. Thank you.

Ann • on Oct 20, 2011 8:46 am

Anne Hathaway has a great voice! Go check out her singing at the Oscars with Hugh Jackman and when she hosted the Oscars. Also watch her sing in several SNL skits…it seems like she has been campaigning to be in this movie for quite some time. She was offered the role as Christine in the Phantom of the Opera movie but was unable to fit it into her schedule because she was filiming Princess Diaries 2 at that time. She has a great voice.

dee123 • on Oct 18, 2011 5:27 pm

The one bit of casting i didn’t want & they go & do it. Not seeing it now.